To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

12 • Breaths

"Shinobu-san will kill you."

"You have no right to say that," Muichiro retorted, panting as he tried to keep up with Inori. "You started training three days after you woke up even though Kocho-san told you to rest. Besides, I want to join you in next month's Final Selection."

Inori fell back, jogging alongside Muichiro. "It will certainly be nice to have you there, but I was not mummified when I started rehabilitation training," she stated dryly.

"You took off the bandages even though Kocho-san threatened you."

Inori clicked her tongue. "Aren't you supposed to be forgetful?"

"Aren't you supposed to be faster?" Irk marks popped out of Inori's temple as she smiled venomously.

"My, my, Muichiro." Muichiro momentarily froze at the use of his first name. "If you want me to leave you behind so badly, then I guess I'll see you in another thirty laps." He didn't get a chance to respond as Inori ran faster, accumulating speed and building stamina.

Muichiro managed to run thirteen laps around the Ubuyashiki Estate before his legs collapsed, and that was with break intervals. Inori stopped running upon seeing his wheezing form crawling on the ground. She helped him back into the house. "It's alright, Tokito, you did better than me when I first recovered, and you've already mastered total concentration constant, so don't look too down."

"Muichiro."

"Huh?"

"You can call me Muichiro, you know. You let me call you Inori and all."

Inori stared at him before beaming. "Then, I'll do that." She let Muichiro sit on the porch, leaving to grab two wooden swords. Inori paused, turning to look back at him. "By the way, Muichiro, what breathing style are you trying to learn?"

"Mist Breathing." Muichiro showed her the time-stained scroll he had been reading. "The original one in Oyakata-sama's library is incomplete in my opinion, so I want to add more forms. I only have the idea right now though. Have you ever heard of this breathing style?"

"Mist, huh? It's not a breathing style I often meet, but there was one former pillar who was kind enough to teach me." As she took a seat beside him, Muichiro moved the scroll between the two of them. "Six forms...yeah, I've learned how to do them. It's going to be sloppy, but do you want to see how they look?"

"Sure."

Hopping off the porch, Inori made her way to her favorite spot in the backyard, the blank space under the large tree. Taking one sword out of her belt, Inori controlled her breathing as she shifted her posture, recalling the movements she had been taught a long time ago.

"The first form of Mist Breathing is a thrust attack," Inori recited the words one of her many teachers had told her. "Um, uh, put strength into your arms and—"

Mist Breathing: First Form: Low Clouds, Distant Haze

The pebbles on the ground shot up, getting blown in the direction of her sword, and clattering into messy stacks. A bead of sweat glided along the curve of her cheek and jaw, dripping off her chin and onto the floor as Inori straightened her posture. Tilting her head, she flashed Muichiro a grin.

"How was that? Cool, right?"

"It was sloppy."

"That's because it's my first time doing it with a sword!" Inori huffed, crossing her arms. "Let's see you do better on your first try."

"It's different. You have prior training and a skilled trainer. I don't."

"Then, what am I?"

Muichiro blinked, tilting his head to the side as he stared at the girl. "You're not a trainer." Because that was a fact. Inori was a swordswoman in the making, not a trainer. Yes, she has the knowledge, but she wasn't experienced or skilled enough to teach others.